A simple memory lapse by director Bhargav Saikia led to the setting of Bokshi, an award-winning Indian folk horror film. Originally intending to base the story in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dirang, a place he had visited during a school expedition, Saikia mistakenly told his writer, Harsh Vaibhav, that the location was Sikkim. This mix-up resulted in a film that blends folklore, horror, gore, and ecological themes, all through a feminist lens. The film is defined by its striking use of red, says Saikia, who hails from Biswanath Chariali in Assam.
Saikia’s directorial debut, shot in the dense forests of Sikkim, recently had its world premiere at the esteemed International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025 in the Harbour section. French-UK outfit Alief has acquired international sales rights to Saikia’s supernatural folk horror film and will present it to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
Elaborating on the storyline, Saikia shares that Bokshi tells the story of Anahita (Prasanna Bisht), a troubled teenager who joins a high school expedition to a remote prehistoric site called ‘The Navel’, guided by a teacher, Shalini (Mansi Multani). As the journey unearths repressed childhood memories, a series of accidents and deaths begins to unfold, forcing Anahita to confront her past and gain a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her.
“Bokshi means ‘witch’ in Nepali. In the film, the titular character takes the form of a feared folkloric demoness. The film breaks away from India’s recent trend of horror-comedy, offering a darker and more atmospheric take on the genre. The film explores the themes of the ‘wild woman,’ women’s empowerment, and humanity’s relationship with Mother Earth. Independent women are branded as witches and persecuted in Assam and across the country. Bokshi challenges the negative stereotypes surrounding witches in society, reimagining them as powerful symbols of female empowerment,” Saikia explains to ND24.
Filmed over 80 days in remote Himalayan locations during the peak of winter, the independent project faced numerous logistical challenges. “A major portion of the film was shot in the dense forests of Sikkim in the Eastern Himalayas during the harsh winter months. I was determined to shoot entirely in real locations to ensure the film’s authenticity,” he adds.
Another interesting aspect of the film is its dialogue in Hindi, English, Nepali, and Boksirit – a unique, invented language spoken by select characters. Created by Dutch linguist Jan van Steenbergen, Boksirit is presented as the ancestral language from which all modern languages originated and was specifically developed for the film. With this, Bokshi joins Baahubali as one of the few Indian films to feature a fictional language created specifically for the narrative.
“We needed a new language since we are depicting Bokshi as the first female on Earth. We wanted it to sound unpolished, unscripted, and have a link to the Indian subcontinent. Our actors spent multiple online sessions with Steenbergen to perfect the pronunciation,” Saikia says.
The director further shares that he was inspired by the fictional language Kiliki, created by linguist Madhan Karky for the Baahubali films, which incorporated ancient Dravidian languages with influences from tribal dialects.
“The film is financed by my Mumbai-based production house, Lorien Motion Pictures. We consulted residents of Sikkim at every stage, and the process took five years. We will be sending the film to more festivals. By the year’s end, I’m hoping for a commercial release of the film. I am also open to an OTT release… let’s see,” he says.
An alumnus of Assam Valley School, Saikia developed a deep love for fantasy books gifted by his maternal grandfather, Dhirendra Nath Baruah, during childhood. As he grew older, he made numerous trips to the cinema halls with his mother, Arundhati Saikia, further fueling his passion for storytelling. His previous films, Awakenings (2015) and The Black Cat (2017), also explore themes of fantasy and horror.
“Horror is my jam. I would like to be known as a genre filmmaker. I believe horror has the potential to bring out many stories revolving around Indian society and culture. With the surging popularity of horror comedies like Stree, it’s the perfect time to experiment,” says Saikia, a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and the Harry Potter series.
